Nice question JJ! I think it's an Encephalartos altensteinii. I don't know any common name, I just know it as an altensteinii and this one looks like a female plant. This is one of the taller growing species with stems up to 4 to 5m or occationally even higher.

They naturally acure in the coastal bush of the Eastern Cape. Like all cycads, they are extremely endangered but maybe just slightly less than some of the other species.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

Yes, that is the seed cone. If they are pollinated, you can cultivate the seeds. It's a very long process but very rewarding in the end. Natural pollination is rare these days because you need the male and female plants quite close to one another for wind pollination to take place and because of poaching there are very few left to multiply naturally. If you can get your hands on some pollen, it's quite easy to pollinate by carefully removing one of the seeds at the top of the stem and injecting a mixture of distilled water and pollen into the cone when it's ripe(there is a little hole left where the seed was removed). After pollination, the seed will fit perfectly back in it's place and all you do is sit and wait for the seeds to drop.

That's just the start! The fleshy bits around the seeds have to be removed and then put them in water. The floating seeds can be tossed, they are not fertile. Repeat the water test again after 3 months and again after 6. By this time you'll be left with about one third of the seeds with which you started. Then you put them on sandy soil in a warm place, keep them damp and they will sprout a single root within the next year or so.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

JustJuice, cycads is a wonderful interest to have! They are the last bit of true prehistorical plants on the planet.

You can also cultivate the suckers (little plants growing from the roots of the mother plant). Care must just be taken to treat the wounds on both plants with tree sealant because insects and rot are quick to attack the soft fleshy stems.

This is one in my garden, it's huge 'cause I've had it for about 35 years. This is also an altensteinii which is one of the faster growing species. (Please excuse my makeshift fence, my dogs are demons if they get in there! )You see the second stem? That is a plant in it's own right which grew from the mother stem.

The seeds.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

Just a bit more about my makeshift fence. These plants don't only have a main root system going down, they also have very delicate roots growing up to the surface which creates a "carpet" around the plant and has a coral-like appearance. They are called coralloid roots. Care must always be taken when digging around the plant not to damage those.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

The cycads have persisted to the present day but only as remnants of a great range of forms which 150 million yeras ago had an almost world-wide distribution.

I participate because I care - CUSTOS NATURAENo to Hotels in and commercialization of our National Parks.No to Legalized Rhino and Lion trade.Done 159 visits to National Parks.What a wonderful privilege.